My Father's Eyes
by visionmaker82
Summary: An introduction of the character Rose Wilson/Ravager, Slade's daughter, into the animated universe.  Will she join her father, or choose the side of justice?  Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

Greetings kind and gentle readers. Before I begin, I wanted to make sure all normal disclaimers apply: I do not own the Teen Titans or any of the other characters related to the series herein. I also wanted to offer a brief explanation that in the comic books which the cartoon was based off, the character Deathstroke, who became Slade in the cartoon, had a daughter named Rose who, like her father, had a dual identity as a high-powered assassin named Ravager. This fic is intended to be an animated-series introduction of the character; elements of her story and character had to be changed to fit her into the storyline of the series, so for all those die-hard purists, please do not be mad at me. I will try to stay true to her character, but also to that of Slade as he exists in the series, so some things will need to be changed to make them compatible. This will also probably be a short fic, as it is merely her introduction-I may write another in the future to further develop what her overall role would look like in the series. I hope you will all enjoy, and please review!

MY FATHER'S EYES

"_Bit by bit I realized _

_That he was here with me _

_And I looked into my father's eyes"_

**-Eric Clapton**

"I'll bet I could be watching some great TV shows." Beat Boy groused as he sulked alongside his companions.  
>"Hush." Raven said, giving him a gentle nudge in the ribs. Her green skinned teammate muttered to himself and trudged alongside her through the high school auditorium. Students, teachers, and parents all milled around, examining the numerous science projects that had been submitted for the fair. Some of them were predictable, like the cardboard volcano that erupted gelatin, and some were impressive like the home-made solar power system. Robin and Cyborg, at least, seemed to be enjoying themselves. Even Starfire was enthused as she floated around the room, examining the students efforts.<br>"How wondrous!" she exclaimed as she reached out a finger and poked the collection of mushrooms one student had grown on a piece of a log, "what is this project called?"  
>"I just grew some fungus on piece of wood" the rather bored looking boy muttered and went back to keeping his eyes buried in a comic book. Starfire promptly snapped one tiny mushroom off the log and looked at it carefully. She held it up to her nose and sniffed it, and then popped it into her mouth. "Hmm, it tastes much like gorthaberries on my home-world. You must share this wondrous recipe!"<br>"Ahem…excuse me!" a voice broke in over the loudspeakers. All eyes turned to the front of the room, where the high school principle stood with some other school officials. He tugged nervously at his collar and then spoke into the microphone again. "We're ready to commence the judging. Here to hand out our prizes this year we have Jump City's very own Teen Titans!" he said and guided the audience in a round of applause for the young hero's.  
>The Titans moved to the front of the room to join the gathered adults. Robin stepped forward to take the envelope from the principle, who then handed over the microphone. Robin tapped the mesh and then joined in the round of cringes at the screech it produced.<br>"Heh, sorry…" he said and then opened the envelope. "Well, in first place we have Rose Wilson and her…home-made xenothium reactor?" Robin said, arching an eyebrow. A mutter ran through the crowd as eyes scanned around to find the lucky winner.  
>"Hey, I'm over here!" someone shouted. All eyes snapped around to see a striking teenage girl make her way through the crowd. She stepped up to Robin and held her hand out, expectantly. Robin took a moment to size her up; she was dressed in the school's uniform, albeit a larger than usual one as she was a little taller than the other girls. She had long, silvery hair and deep, hazel colored eyes. Her face was dotted with some freckles, and her mouth seemed set in a self-satisfied looking little smile.<br>"Well, uh, congratulations Miss Wilson," Robin said as he handed over the small trophy that signified first place, "But how could you make a xenothium reactor on your own? There's not a lot of it around." Robin didn't mention the reasons he knew this better than most others.  
>"Oh, it's not that hard to synthesize if you know what you're doing" Rose said smugly. "All you have to do is merge the right elements and the atoms just line right up. Once you've got that, building a reactor is just a matter of stabilizing the atomic structure. After that you can make as much as you want." Rose glanced around, smirking to herself at all the slack jawed, confused looks.<br>"Um…did anyone understand that?" Beast Boy muttered.  
>"I sure did!" a new voice broke in from across the room. There was a high pitched whirling sound, and a projectile shaped like a blood-red X knocked the microphone out of Robin's hand. All eyes snapped around to see none other than Red X perched in the rafters of the auditorium. He launched himself off, cartwheeled through the air and landed flawlessly on the floor, the crowd spreading away to make room for him.<br>"Titans, go!" Robin shouted. Instantly his teammates reacted, making a charge for X. Starfire tossed a handful of green energy bolts, but a large X shaped shield drew out from X's gauntlet, blocking her attack. He then detached it and threw it like a discus. It skidded across the floor, stopping right where Cyborg set his foot, slipping him and causing him to fall flat to his back.  
>Beast Boy leapt forward, morphing into a kangaroo as he jumped, and landed flat in front of X, immediately raising one powerful leg for a kick to the abdomen, but X sidestepped expertly and in return slapped an open palmed hand onto the green animal's chest. When he drew back he had left a small red orb on Beast Boy's chest, which then sprouted four tentacle-like cords that snapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides. He then disposed of Beast Boy with a quick kick to the chest.<br>"Azarath, Metrion…" Raven began her incantation, but before she could finish X swept an arm at her, a pair of small X shaped objects flying from his hand. They landed over Raven's eyes with a splat, liquefying on contact with her skin, becoming a glue-like substance. She reached up to wipe it away, only to find her fingers getting stuck as well.  
>Now it was Robin's turn as he leaped in and aimed a series of punches and kicks, each of which X blocked and then replied to with attempted blows of his own. They danced around each other, perfectly matched in their skill, unable to land a single solid hit.<br>"What do you want X?" Robin snarled in frustration.  
>"That girl's science project should let me make all the xenothium I need to power this suit" X replied. "She gets first prize, I get a new power source. I'd call it a fair trade." X said coldly as he ducked another of Robin's punches. He glanced quickly over Robin's shoulder and saw the other Titans starting to recover; Beast Boy morphed into a mouse and then back to himself, escaping the cable device. The glue on Raven's eyes was overcome by a black energy and dissolved, exposing her eyes which were glaring with annoyance. Starfire helped Cyborg to his feet. Robin tried to use the distraction to launch a roundhouse kick to the side of X's head, but X ducked swiftly, crouched down to his knees, and then launched himself up, somersaulting through the air and landing next to Rose Wilson's xenothium reactor.<br>"This little baby should…" he started to say as he reached out for it, only to have it fly away from a powerful kick that sent it screeching across the floor. Startled, X snapped his head around to find the culprit and was surprised to see none other than the winner herself standing, her fists raised, ready for a fight. "You've got to be kidding me!" he chuckled.  
>"It's over X! You've got nowhere to go!" Robin barked as the Titans fell in behind him. The crowd started to tighten up as well, blocking off all of X's escape routes. He glanced around, and then in a sudden move darted around behind Rose, grabbing one of her wrists and pulling it up behind her back as he coiled an arm around her neck.<br>"On the contrary, WE'RE going to go someplace"! X threated, tightening his arm around Rose's neck. "Now back off!" Robin clenched his teeth and then held his hands up for X to see clearly as he took a few steps back. The rest of the team followed suit, and even the crowd started to dissipate a bit. "Now, you're going to stay right where you are while we get out of here. Make any moves, and this little cutie might just get hurt!" X threatened, narrowing his eyes through his mask.  
>"Yeah, right!" Rose grunted and then slammed one of her feet down onto one of X's. The would-be thief jolted from the hit, his grip on her loosening enough for Rose to jam the elbow of her free arm into his throat. X stumbled a moment, releasing his grip on Rose's arm as he reached for his throat. She used the advantage to reach other her shoulder, grabbing a hold of his head and flung him over her shoulder, sending him crashing flat onto his back. And then, in a move that drew a gasp from the crowd, she kicked one of her legs up, so high that her thigh brushed her chest, and slid herself down into a perfect split, her heel cracking down onto the face of X's mask. X kicked his legs out stiff and then went limp, completely unconscious.<br>Rose got up to her feet, brushing herself off, and then raised her eyes to meet the slack jawed gaze of the crowd. She smirked in amusement to see that even the Titan's were staring in disbelief at her performance. "What?" she said as she tossed her hair. "Miss Jovie's Self Defense Class for Girls." She said and then swaggered her way toward the exit. She paused only a moment to grab her trophy from the hands of one of the adults who was holding onto it. "I'll take that, thank you!" she said and then threw her chin into the air and strutted out, the eyes of the entire room watching her go.  
>"Dude…" Beast Boy muttered, sounding awed.<br>"Maybe we should make her a part of the team." Cyborg joked.  
>"Yeah, sure." Robin muttered, and turned his eyes to the unconscious X. He reached into his utility belt and withdrew a pair of handcuffs, snapping them onto X's limp wrists as he head the sirens approaching in the distance.<p>

Somewhere else, hidden below the streets of Jump City, another mind, even more devious than that of Red X, had watched the battle unfold with keen interest. The room was completely silent, except for the soft sound of gears turning. In the center of the room a dark figure sat facing several large monitor screens which were showing the images of the fight from several different angles. The man seated in the chair narrowed his single eye as he rewound and played the events over and over.  
>After a few moments he sighed, seemingly annoyed, and shook his masked head. He reached for a button to shut the monitors down.<br>"Well, in first place we have Rose Wilson and her…home-made xenothium reactor?" Robin's voice filled the room. At this, the dark figured straightened up, his attention suddenly perked. He snapped his head around, his single eye wide with surprise. He pressed a button, replaying it. "Rose Wilson and her…Rose Wilson and her…Rose Wilson and…Rose Wilson…Rose Wilson…" Finally he stopped the images altogether, focusing on the face of the girl who came forward to collect her prize. He rose and strode across the room, standing directly in front of the monitors. He reached out and brushed his fingertips over the screen, as if trying to touch her face.  
>"Rose…" Slade said softly to himself. Then he narrowed his single eye as he began to formulate a plot.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

For those of you who have read so far, I thank you, and hope you enjoyed the first chapter. It was short, but trust me, more is coming. To anon, thank you for your review. I am well aware of Deathstroke's history in the comic books, but we must remember that Slade is a much different kind of character. As such, his story and that of his daughter will not be completely the same as in the comics. Read on and, and reviews are always appreciated!

Chapter 2

"Well, we got the message, what do you want?" Mammoth's deep voice rumbled. He and the rest of his Hive Five companions stood in the dark below Slade's chair. He looked down at them as a king looks down upon his subjects.  
>"I have a job for you." Slade said in that flat, monotone voice. "A simple task, really. And I'm willing to pay handsomely."<br>"Just how much is 'handsomely?'" Gizmo sneered. He remembered his last dealings with Slade all too well, and wanted to make sure that it would truly be worth the while. In response Slade held up a small, handheld device with a monitor, similar to a cellphone. A number flashed on the screen in front of them.  
>"I dunno…" See-More said, kicking his foot across the floor and folding his hands behind his head. "Since we lost Jinx, things have been a little tougher. We might have to take some risks. Could be real dangerous…" Slade narrowed his single eye and then tapped a few keys on the device. The number changed. "But I think we can handle it!" See-More grinned and flashed a thumbs up.<br>"So what's the job?" Billy Numerous asked, sounding rather bored with the whole thing.  
>Slade did not answer verbally, but instead pressed a button on the arm of his chair. All five of the villains jumped when the monitors behind him blinked to life, revealing the image of teenage girl from several different angles.<br>"A kid? What do you want a kid for?" Mammoth grunted, scratching the top of his head.  
>"None of your concern." Slade said, dismissively. "Just bring her here to me and then you'll get paid."<br>"She's cute." Gizmo snickered.  
>"Yeah, maybe when you're done I should ask her on a…" See-More started, but trailed off when he heard the faint cracking sound. All eyes focused on Slade's hand, still holding the small monitor-device; his fingers had tightened around it, his arm trembling with tension.<br>"If one hair on her head is out of place…" he said, a hint of menace seeping into his voice. His grip tightened again, and the small monitor cracked as the device crumbled in his grip.  
>"Okay, we get the point!" See-More scrambled to say, holding his hands up as if afraid Slade would launch himself from his chair at any second.<br>"Just bring her to me. Now go!" Slade said, narrowing his eye at them. The five grumbled to each other and then turned to leave. Slade watched them go, and then spun his chair around to face the monitors. He pressed the button on the chair-arm again, and replayed the footage of Rose Wilson dispatching Red X.

Robin walked on his own through the mall, searching for something to occupy his attention. Cyborg and Beast Boy had both raced to the video-game store to get in line for the latest titles, Raven had of course headed straight for the book-store, and Starfire had befriended a troupe of little-girls who had lassoed her into singing karaoke with them. This left him without much to do. He contemplated visiting the sporting-goods store to see if there was any new sparring equipment, or perhaps the electronics-store would have some new software…  
>He was knocked from his musing when he felt the body collide against him, and a forehead bump against his with a tooth-aching smack.<br>"Hey creep, what where you're! Oh, it's you…" a vaguely familiar voice said. Robin looked up and found the girl they had met the previous day standing in front of him.  
>"Rose Wilson, right?" he said while he rubbed the bump on his forehead.<br>"Yeah." She muttered, turning her eyes away from his, gazing off into the distance.  
>"So…what brings you here?" Robin asked, trying to start a conversation.<br>"None of your business!" she snapped. Her aggression actually took Robin by surprised and, and he took a step back, a startled look on his face. Rose looked into his confused eyes and then bit her lip. She looked down briefly, ran a hand through her silvery hair, and then met his gaze again, looking regretful.  
>"You didn't deserve that, sorry." She said.<br>"It's okay. Something bothering you? If its Red X, he's in jail, you won't be seeing him again."  
>"No, it's not that. I'm just feeling kind of…alone today. Some people were talking about adopting me, but they chose another girl." She crossed her arms, running her hands up and down her own arms as if trying to warm herself against a cold world.<br>"You're an orphan?" Robin said, genuinely surprised. He suddenly felt a sincere sympathy for her, understanding how alone she must have felt.  
>"Yeah…my mom died when I was really young, and I never knew my father. I think he walked out on her."<br>"Wow…that's horrible." Robin said. The sympathy in his voice must have registered, because she looked at him curiously. "My parents died when I was little too." Robin said, and then placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know what you're going through." She actually smiled a little, perhaps taking some comfort from this.  
>"Thanks." She said. "Sorry if I bothered you with my problems…"<br>"Oh no, not at all" Robin said, "I've got nothing going on today. If you want someone to talk to…"  
>"This some kind of a date?" Rose said, smiling with amusement. Robin did a double-take and threw his hands up defensively, the image of what Starfire would say if she was present sending a jolt down his spine.<br>"No!" he said, a little louder than he meant to, and then shrank a bit from the bewildered looks he drew from some of the people around them. "I just know what it's like to feel abandoned and alone. Sometimes talking to someone helps."  
>"Well…why not?" she said and shrugged. With that they started walking, wandering with no particular direction. There was a brief silence, with neither of them sure what to say.<br>"Those were some amazing moves you used on Red X yesterday," Robin finally said, breaking the silence. "Where'd you learn them?"  
>"I told you, I take self-defense classes" Rose said, and then raised her chin with that haughty expression on her face again "I'm already a ninth degree black belt."<br>"Not bad" Robin said with a smirk, "keep training and maybe you can make twelfth degree like me."  
>"Twelfth? No way! How did you get that far?" she said, sounding genuinely impressed.<br>"I had a great teacher" Robin said smartly, and deliberately ignored the confused look she gave him. "That science project was incredible too. How did you learn to build it?"  
>"Just studied hard I guess" Rose said with a shrug. "I guess fighting and being smart just run in the family. I really wish I'd met my father, he was probably really smart too."<br>"What about your mom?" Rose reached into her pocket and produced a photograph that she handed to Robin. It revealed a smiling but sickly looking woman holding a baby wrapped in a blanket in her arms. The woman seemed happy, but her eyes seemed to have sadness in them, as if the picture were taken after a long struggle.  
>"That's the only picture I have of her…" Rose said sadly. "She died in a car crash when I was still a baby."<br>"A car crash?" Robin asked as he handed the picture back.  
>"Yeah, off a cliff. She was really sick when she gave birth to me; they said maybe she fell asleep behind the wheel." Rose held the picture of her heart for a moment, her eyes closed, and then slipped it back into her pocket.<br>"I'm real sorry." Robin said, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
>"Thanks" Rose said, and then forced herself to flash a smile. "Hey, why all this concern for me? Are you this way with all the girls?"<br>"No!" Robin said, again panicking at the insinuation. "I just understand how you feel. It's hard not having a family. I was lucky: I got taken in by someone who really cared about me, protected me, and taught me. I think it great you've come so far on your own."  
>"Really?" Rose said, her eyes brightening a little.<br>"Yeah. I'm sure you're going to make your mom really proud one day."  
>"Thanks!" she said, her spirits seeming to rise. "Hey, want to try out that new virtual reality game?" she suggested.<br>"Maybe when we're done playing with ya first!" a rumbling voice interrupted as a dark shadow fell over them. Robin pushed Rose out of the way just in time for Mammoth's first to smash into the floor right where they had been standing.  
>Robin jumped up, his fists raised, ready for a fight. He glanced around and saw the other members of the HIVE Five gathered around.<br>"What do you want?" he said as he dropped into position.  
>"You're date" Gizmo snickered. "A cutie like her needs to run with a high class crowd like us!"<br>"She's not my date!" Robin shouted, causing even the HIVE Five to throw him a perplexed look. His shoulders sagged for a moment as a sweat-drop of embarrassment tricked down his neck. "Rose, get out of here!" he said as he readied for battle again.  
>"You kidding?" Rose said, raising her own fists. "This way more fun than a video game?"<br>"Fun?" Robin asked, amazed at her casual attitude to the situation.  
>"If it's a good time you want, we're glad to help out!" Gizmo retorted. A pair of strange devices, shaped like bows, popped on his shoulders and launched a pair of boomerang shaped contraptions into the air. They proceeded to circle around, firing small laser beams at the pair. Robin and Rose both leapt away in separate directions.<br>The jet-powered boomerangs circled back around, making another pass. Robin expertly dodged the lasers and then leapt into the air, performing a perfect spinning kick, his foot colliding with one of the tiny machines which then crashed smashed, the parts scattering everywhere.  
>"Hey! I worked for hours on those things!" Gizmo shouted as he directed the other one back around.<br>"Next time, make them with better parts!" Robin smirked as he got ready for the next one. He reached down to his utility belt and then whipped his arm around, sending a birdarang darting through the air to shatter the other boomerang. He smiled in self-satisfaction, but his face was covered by the powerful and foul-smelling flesh of Mammoth's arms.  
>"That's right birdie" Mammoth grunted as he felt Robin struggle against him, "just wear yourself all out of breath…"<br>Nearby Rose got back to her feet, seemingly unaware of Kid Wykkyd appearing out of the floor behind her. He floated up, slowly raising his arms, and was about to pounce when Rose spun around and leveled a powerful kick straight into his chest, sending him sprawling.  
>"Keep your hands to yourself!" she spat when someone grabbed her wrists and locked them behind her.<br>"Don't mind if we do!" Billy Numerous chuckled into her ear as one of his clones approached from the front. Rose struggled for a moment against the one holding her from behind, but then kicked her legs up, locking her ankles around the neck of the one coming at her, and then used her legs to yank him forward. She quickly moved her head to the side at the last moment, causing the two Billy's heads to collide, sending them both to the floor in a comical pile.  
>"Don't crowd me!" she said with a smirk and then turned to see what was coming next, only to find herself staring into a mesmerizing, spinning pinwheel. "Woa…" she started to say before she suddenly felt sleep overtake her.<br>"That's it lady, just snooze it off" See-More chucked as he switched his regular eye back. He reached down to collect Rose from where she fell on the floor.  
>"Hey six-eyes!" Beast Boy called, and See-More turned just in time to get rammed by green ram, knocking him away from the unconscious girl.<br>Mammoth was grinning to himself as he felt Robin's struggles starting to fade when a pair of cold-metal hands clapped onto his shoulders.  
>"Hey tough guy, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Cyborg quipped as he yanked Mammoth away from Robin and tossed him away. Robin collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. "You okay?" Cyborg asked as he helped his friend to his feet.<br>"I am now" Robin said as the red started to fade from his face. "Five on five is better odds." They exchanged brotherly smiles before leaping back into action.  
>Gizmo grumbled as he readied another pair of the boomerang-weapons for launch when a pair of green energy-bolts blasted the two launchers from his shoulders.<br>"On my planet, we have a name for someone who plays with such dangerous toys. You are a…" Starfire started to say, but was cut off when a slice of tape slapped over her mouth. She grunted in surprised and tried to yank it off, then glared daggers at Gizmo, who chuckled as he lowered his arm and tried to ready the wrist mounted launcher for another shot.  
>Raven and Kid Wykkyd both narrowed their eyes at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Raven finally broke the tension by launching forward, preparing to release a series of kicks at Kid Wykkyd's head when the silence villain vanished into the wall. Raven glanced around searching for him and then sprawled when a pair of hands pushed into her back. She glared over her shoulder at him, and then vanished through the floor herself. Wykkyd started and then scratched his head when Raven barreled into him from the side, knocking him away. They regained their footing and glared at each other again.<br>"Great, we could be at this all day…" Raven muttered to herself.  
>"Not if I help out first!" Beast Boy declared triumphantly as she jumped into place alongside her. They exchanged smiles and then turned their gaze onto Kid Wykkyd, who suddenly looked far less confident. He slowly backed away only to bump into Mammoth, who was also looking less than certain of himself as he faced off against Robin and Cyborg both. They were soon joined by See-More and Billy Numerous, who also looked as if they had had a change of heart about the situation.<br>"You know boys, I'm thinking maybe our pay-day can wait a while…" See-More said to his companions.  
>"I'm thinking that's a good idea!" Mammoth grunted.<br>"Aw man, I was just getting to the best part!" Gizmo whined, only to have See-More clap a hand over his mouth.  
>"Save it! Get us out of here man, now!" he barked at Kid Wykkyd, who nodded his head in agreement. He threw his cloak up, and instantly all five were gone.<br>The Titans all eased up, dropping out of combat-mode as they glanced around.  
>"Well, at least they didn't cause too much damage." Raven muttered as she glanced around. There were only a few chairs overturned, a few cracks in the tiles on the floor.<br>"Everyone okay?" Robin asked as he looked around at his teammates. They all nodded their heads. "How about you Rose?" He said, snapping his head around to where he had last seen her…only to find nothing there. "Rose?" he said, panic starting to rise. "Rose? Where are you?" he shouted.  
>"Please Robin, who are you looking for?" Starfire said, placing a hand on his shoulder.<br>"Rose Wilson, the girl from the science fair! I was just talking to her when they attacked us!"  
>"Then where is she now?" Cyborg asked. He glanced around, but no one had an answer.<p>

"Hmm" Rose sighed as she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up and stretched her arms out and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Man, what a nightmare." She mumbled as she turned to roll out of bed…only to find she wasn't in bed at all. She was seated in a large chair. She started and then looked around, realizing that this wasn't the orphanage.  
>The room was dark, so much so she could barely make out anything in it. She heard the sound of machinery somewhere, perhaps she was in a factory of some kind? She slowly got out of the chair and tried to feel her way around. She jumped when a single light snapped on, a circle of light in the darkness appearing a few feet away.<br>"Hello? Who's there?" she asked, her sense of dread rising with each second. She glanced around, but saw no one. "Is anyone there? Where am I?"  
>"Don't be afraid" a deep and monotone voice said from the darkness. Rose jumped and then backed away, glancing around for an exit.<br>"Who are you?" she asked, squinting her eyes as she tried to find the whoever she was speaking to.  
>"Someone who's wanted to meet you for a long time. There's no need to be afraid-you belong here. More than anywhere else."<br>"Show yourself!" she shouted into the blackness. After a moment her captor responded by stepping into that single light on the floor, slowly revealing the broad shoulders, the black plates of armor, and the single eye watching her from inside the black and orange mask. Rose gasped and stumbled backward, trying not to fall. "You! Y-y-you're…" she said, pointing a trembling finger at him. She knew who he was, of course-she had seen his picture on television and in the newspapers.  
>"There's no reason to be afraid of me, Rose" Slade said, "you of all people have nothing to fear from me." His calling her by name took Rose off guard, and she stopped backing away a moment to gather herself.<br>"How do you know my name?" she asked him.  
>"Oh, I know much more than that." Slade replied. "I know everything about you."<br>"How?" she asked, this time not drawing away as he came closer.  
>"Why wouldn't I?" he said as he came to a halt, standing directly in front of her now. He gazed down at her, his single eye meeting hers. "After all…a father knows these things."<br>Rose's eyes widened as she took in a single, sharp gasp, her stomach feeling as if it had been pumped with ice as she suddenly seemed to feel that darkness move in around her.

That's it for this chapter folks! If I am not giving a lot of attention to your personal favorite character, please forgive me-it is actually hard to write a story that is so crammed with so many characters. I would like to warn you, dear readers, that the next chapters are going to be dark, as we are going to be delving into Rose and Slade's past. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, see you all next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"No way!" Rose protested, backing away from the towering figure of Slade. "You can't be! There's just no way!"  
>"Why not?" Slade said, taking a few steps toward her. He stopped when he saw her scrambling away and then remained where he was, rooted to the spot.<br>"I don't have a father! I mean, I've never met him but I'm sure you can't be him! My father would never…"  
>"I'm sure this comes as a shock to you, Rose. I must admit, I was surprised to find out you were in this city myself. I hadn't seen you in so long."<br>"No, its just not possible!" Rose said and stamped one of her feet, clenching her eyes shut tight.  
>"It is Rose…" she heard him say, closer now. She opened her eyes to find him standing directly in front of her, her face at level with his chest. She refused to budge, not wanting to give anymore ground to him. She managed to keep a straight face when Slade placed a finger under her chin, raising her eyes to meet his. "Deep down, you know it. After all…you have my eyes." Rose looked up into the single eye that was looking back at her from that mask, and for an instant she felt something connect. Her eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped her. She could not see his face under his mask, but she saw a look of satisfaction enter that eye.<br>"No…" she said, turning away from Slade, crossing her arms tight, holding herself as it to ward off the information that was making her head reel.  
>"My eyes…" Slade repeated, "But you look like you're mother. You have her smile…" he started to raise his hands to place them on her shoulders.<br>"No!" Rose snapped, spinning around to face him. She jabbed a finger into the air, her jaw clenched and her eyes starting to gleam as she fought back to the tears threatening to pour forth. "Don't you dare talk about her! Because you're NOT my father! Now where's the door, I want out of here!" she said and spun on her heel, stomping off away from him, searching for an exit.  
>"Her name was Lillian." Slade said from behind her. The words hit like a truck; instantly Rose completely froze, her body going stiff. She looked over her shoulder at him, her jaw dangling.<br>"How did you...?" she started to ask, but the words died when she saw that satisfied look go back into Slade's eye. She looked away again, as if struggling to decide between leaving and staying. She bit her lip and then turned back around, walking back to him.

"We've got to find her!" Robin said, pacing in the living-room at Titan's Tower. The others watched with growing confusion and concern.  
>"Don't worry Robin, we'll find her. There's only so many places she can be." Cyborg said as he patted his friend on the shoulder.<br>"Not to sound cold, but why all this concern for a girl you just met?" Raven asked, tilting her head sideways as if trying to see some new feature on Robin's face.  
>"I don't know. I just…" he struggled for words and then sighed, slumping down onto the couch. "She's an orphan, just like I was. But I had someone who took care of me, she's got no one. She's all alone." Starfire sat down next to him and place an arm around his shoulders.<br>"If it means this much to you Robin, we shall do everything we can to find her." Starfire said softly. Robin placed a hand over hers and gave it a small squeeze, seeming to draw strength from her.  
>"Maybe we should check back at the orphanage" Beast Boy suggested. "Maybe she just got scare and ran home."<br>"No way" Robin said, rising to his feet again. "You saw how she handled herself against Red X yesterday. And when the Hive Five attacked us she said it looked fun. She wouldn't get scared that easy."  
>"Then maybe she went to get help." Raven suggested.<br>"I don't think so. She seemed so confident she could handle it on her own…"  
>"Well, you suggest something then!" Cyborg said, starting to get exasperated. Robin was silent a moment, staring at the floor as he considered what to do.<br>"I guess the only thing to do is fan out, search all over for her." He said. The other Titans exchanged glances and then nodded in agreement.

Slade stood as still as a statue, looking down at the picture Rose had handed him. His body language was hard for her to read-if only she could see his face under that mask. He looked at the face of Rose's mother, the only sign that it stirred anything was a slight narrowing of his single eye.  
>"I lost her when I was really little…she never told me anything about my father…" Rose said. At this Slade finally made a single move, brushing his thumb over the face of the smiling woman in the picture. "You must have cared about her a lot…" Rose said, hoping to maybe draw some sign of emotion from him.<br>"Those were…different times for me." Slade said and then handed the picture back to her. "Things change Rose. You'll understand that eventually."  
>"Okay" Rose sighed as she tucked the picture back into her pocket, "Let's pretend that you really are my father. Why did you leave? How could you just abandon us like that? Did we interfere with your plans or something? Or were you just ashamed…"<br>"It wasn't like that!" Slade snapped, surprising Rose and himself at how strongly he had reacted to her words. He took a moment to compose himself and then turned his head, staring off into the darkness. "I was a wanted man, Rose, even then. I couldn't have stayed, it would have been too dangerous for you and your mother. I had to leave."  
>"So why didn't you ever try to find me?" She said, her voice starting to get shrill as years of pent up sadness and anger bubbled to the surface. "Do you have any idea what it was like, growing up all alone? To always be by yourself, with no one to help you or take care of you?"<br>"Yes, I do." He said. This actually choked off the words in Rose's mouth, and she fell silent. She clenched her fists and locked eyes with the ground, tears starting to crawl down her face.  
>"I used to watch all the other kids…and I wished I could have what they had so bad. I never had anyone tuck me in or read me a bed-time story or give me a present on my birthday. I felt so cheated. Like I did something wrong and life was punishing me…"<br>"I'm here now Rose" she heard his voice move closer. She raised her eyes to look up at him. He reached up and, much to her amazement, brushed one of her tears away from her cheek. His hand felt warm.  
>"What do you want with me?" she said through the tightness in her throat.<br>"I want exactly what you want." Slade said, stepping away from her, starting to walk in a small circle around her. "I want to be your father, Rose, and so much more. I want to teach you. To guide you through life. To help you reach your full potential. We can be a family at last."  
>"A family?" she said, a hopeful note in her voice. Slade stopped and looked deep into her eyes.<br>"Rose, I have had so many apprentices in the past, so many disappointments. Mistake after mistake. And then there's you, my own flesh and blood." He placed a hand on her cheek, brushing some of her hair aside. She closed her eyes and leaned her head onto his palm, actually seeming comforted by his touch. "With you as my apprentice, there's no limit to what we could do. The world could be ours."  
>"The world?" Rose said, a sudden note of alarm rising in her voice. She backed away from him, leaving his hand floating in the air as she pulled her face away from it. She looked him up and down, the look of peace on her face turning into one of mistrust. "You want to do to me what you tried to do to Robin and to that other girl." She said, shaking her head in disbelief.<br>"You know about all that?" Slade said, sounding almost amused.  
>"Yeah, I know they had to evacuate the whole city because of you! The Titans were the ones you tried to protect everyone when you were…"<br>"Oh yes, just like the marvelous job they did protecting you from Red X." Slade said sharply. It took Rose by surprise, and she found herself at a loss for words. "Or how they protected you from the others at the mall today. You've seen how weak they are Rose, how pathetic. You know they'll fail in the end. They aren't strong enough to protect you, or anyone else. I'm the only one who can."  
>Rose was silent for several moments, as if actually weighing Slade's words. She ran a hand through the length of her hair and then looked him dead in his eye.<br>"They may not be perfect, but neither am I. And they haven't given me any reason to doubt them. They didn't abandon me when I needed them. And I want to leave now."  
>"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Slade said, taking several menacing steps forward. But Rose stood her ground, refusing to give an inch to him.<br>"Or what? You'll just force me to stay? Real nice way to show your daughter how much you care." She said icily. Her words actually struck Slade, freezing him where he stood. He turned his own gaze to the floor now, his fists trembling with tension as he tried to control his frustration.  
>"You are…free to leave, if you wish." He said. A door opened several feet away, but Rose did not move for it immediately. She hesitated, as if searching for something else to say. Slade turned his back and looked away from her, and Rose bit her trembling lip as she finally turned to the door. She glanced through it, finding a tunnel with lights strung along the wall that she hoped would lead her out of here. She glanced back over her shoulder at Slade for just a moment and then started walking.<br>Slade remained frozen till he heard the echo of her footsteps fade. Then he approached another wall and pressed his hand to a small square panel, causing a section of the wall to pull away, revealing a mirror. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached up to his head and removed his mask. He looked at his own reflection and then, mask in hand, smashed his fist into it, shattering the reflective glass into countless pieces. He placed his hands on the wall to support himself and then stood there, breathing heavily, seeing himself reflecting in the countless small mirrors that now lay scattered across the floor.

Rose shuddered against the night air, wishing she had a coat to wrap around herself. She folder her arms for warmth and started walking back to the orphanage, the only home she really knew. She tried not to feel any sadness, yet she kept replaying some of Slade's words in her head. _I'm here now Rose. We can be a family. I want to teach you, to guide you through life. They aren't strong enough to protect you. I'm the only one who can._  
>A single tear crawled down her cheek as she walked through the night.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Greetings once more, gentle reader. I would to thank all those who have reviewed from the bottom of my heart-it is good to know my writing has been good enough to stir a response. I have been trying to portray Rose as a sympathetic, even tragic figure, while also trying not to deviate from Slade's character too greatly. As we saw many times in the series, he is not someone who does anything without having some other, self-serving motive. But I think it makes for an interesting dynamic to imply that somewhere in whatever shriveled husk he has for a heart that there may actually be a small part of him that actually cares for his daughter. I hope you will enjoy the remainder of this story. Read on!

Chapter 4

"We did what you told us to, so when do we get paid?" Gizmo whined at Slade over the monitor screen. Slade seemed to be in an even fouler mood than when they had visited his lair to take the job.  
>"There won't be any payment." Slade replied coolly.<br>"WHAT?" Gizmo shrieked, his voice becoming shrill as the other members of the Hive Five gathered around him and started to voice their own protests.  
>"I hired you to bring the girl to me, and you couldn't even fend off the Teen Titans. I had to acquire her myself. You failed, so no payment." He said, and with that the image blinked off, leaving Gizmo and his partners stammering.<br>"Snot-munching bar-brain!" Gizmo snarled as he tried to get Slade back on the monitor. But it was useless-all communication cut off.  
>"What a raw deal!" Mammoth sulked as he rested his elbows on his knees, his fists against his cheeks.<br>"After all of that" Billy Numerous sulked as he paced the room, "and we don't even get a pizza out of it!" his clone muttered as they crossed paths.  
>"Better luck next time I guess." See-More shrugged as he plopped down and picked up the television remote. He pointed it at the box when Gizmo thrust himself in front, blocking the remote's path.<br>"No way!" Gizmo snapped, grabbing the remote from his partners hand. "We won't stand for this! If Slade wants that kid so bad, next time he's gonna' have to pay double!"  
>"What next time?" Mammoth said, perking up at the notion of more mayhem.<br>"Right now!" Gizmo said, his mouth spreading in a troublesome smile.

Rose sniffled with a nose that was getting numb from the cold. She looked down at the ground between her feet, her mind replaying the events of the last few hours over and over. She knew that she shouldn't have felt any remorse over turning down the villain who had nearly destroyed the entire city multiple times, but she still felt a profound sense of loss._  
>My father…<em> she thought to herself. She had dreamt for so long of what it would be like to meet her father one day, to hug him and feel safe with him. All those dreams had been shattered now, and it left her feeling empty. She felt as if her life truly had no purpose now, and that now all she could look forward to was wandering with no particular reason to exist.  
>"Rose? Rose, is that you?" a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see none other than Robin running over to the bench she was seated on. Seeing a friendly face gave her some comfort, and she quickly wiped away her tears and tried to compose herself.<br>"Robin, hi." She said as she got to her feet.  
>"I found her guys. We're at the park, hurry over." Robin said into his communicator and then took a moment to look Rose over, making sure she wasn't hurt. "Where were you? We've been searching for you for hours."<br>"You were…looking for me?" Rose said, actually surprised to hear it.  
>"Of course. We were worried sick about you."<br>"But…why?" she asked him.  
>"Because we're friends. Friends help each other." Robin said and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She smiled warmly and placed her hand over his, surprising him.<br>"That's good to know" she said softly.  
>"Are you okay? You look like you've been crying." He said as he searched the pockets of his utility belt for a tissue to hand her.<br>"Oh, I just got scared during the fight and ran off. I'm sorry I worried you guys."  
>"That doesn't sound like you" Robin said as he handed her the tissue. "You sure that's all it is? It's what we talked about before, about your parents, then…"<br>"No!" she said with surprising urgency. She took a step back, her eyes wide, as if she had not meant to say it. She gulped and then spoke again, sounding as if she were trying to cover her tracks. "No, it's not that. I guess I just kind of…realized some things. I'm okay now."  
>"Not for long she's not!" an all too familiar voice broke in, followed by a high-pitched shrieking sound. Robin recognized the voice and the noise and quickly pushed Rose out of the way just before Gizmo's jet powered boomerangs flew past them. "I worked double-hard on this set Boy Blunder!" Gizmo cackled as he directed them around for another sweep.<br>Robin leapt up to face his enemy when a pair of Billy Numerous' grabbed his arms, restraining him so that the charging Mammoth could level him with a knock out punch. At least, that was the plan until Robin performed a backflip, yanking the two Billy's into Mammoth's path, sending them colliding into each other.  
>Robin steadied himself and glanced around, looking for what was coming next, completely unaware of Kid Wykkyd materializing behind him. The silent villain raised his arms, ready to strike when a green energy-bolt blew him away, interrupting his attack. All eyes spun to see the other Titan's gathered, ready to help their friends.<br>"Didn't learn your lesson, huh?" Cyborg quipped.  
>"This time we're gonna' school you!" Gizmo shouted in response as the mechanical pack on his back extended into a pair of wings. He soared into the air and let loose a series of laser shots, sending the Titans scrambling.<br>Rose backed away from the action, actually wanting to run away this time, the fight drained from her by the night's events. A tap on her shoulder spun her around, staring right into See-More's hypnotic eye.  
>"Nighty night!" See-More chuckled triumphantly.<br>"Not this time!" Rose said quickly and jabbed her thumb into the spinning sphere. See-More yelped and then jumped around blindly, clutching his face. He was knocked flat to his back when a garbage can, surrounded by a black glow, rolled under his legs. Rose glanced over to see Raven smiling, and flashed her a smile in response.  
>Starfire hovered a few feet off the ground, searching for her opponent when a sudden tug on her hair yanked her head back. She gasped as Kid Wykkyd pulled hard, trying to yank her down to the pavement. He smiled sadistically as Starfire loosed a series of green eye-beams into the air, unable to turn her head to get a clear shot at him. His smile vanished when the red-colored bola's wrapped around him, pinning his arms to his sides. He struggled to free himself till Robin slammed into his side with a kick that sent him face-first to the ground.<br>With a great bellow Mammoth charged at Beast Boy, but was stopped dead in his tracks when a green monkey leapt up and latched onto his face. He stumbled about for a moment, flailing his large arms comically, then reached up and yanked the shape-changer off his face. He snarled at Beast Boy, only to scream a moment later when the young-hero turned into a porcupine, his green quills prickling into Mammoth's oversized palm.  
>Mammoth tossed the porcupine aside, shouting and clutching his pierced hand. He whimpered as he yanked a couple of quills out of his finger, then turned with rage in his eyes, glaring at Beast Boy, who had assumed his natural shape and was smiling smartly at him. Mammoth snarled and charged again, only to slip on a trail of octopus-ink that had been squirted onto the ground. He skid across the pavement and crashed into a pile of trash-cans across the street, one of them being tossed into the air only to land directly over his head.<br>Cyborg, meanwhile, tried his best to get a good shot from his arm-cannon off at the evading Gizmo. He dodged as Gizmo fired off several more shots and then ducked at the attempted dive that as intended to take his head off. He took advantage of Gizmo's back being turned to get off a single, well aimed shot that grazed Gizmo's pack, causing the pint-sized villain to lose control of his flight-device, sending him careening through the air this way and that.  
>"Hey, that was my guidance system!" Gizmo shouted as he struggled to regain control of himself toward Rose, who only had time to emit a horrified gasp as it darted straight for her.<br>"Rose, get lookout!" Robin shouted and dove, managing to push her out of the just as the boomerang shrieked past her. Rose stumbled to recover from Robin's push, so distracted that she did not have time to dive away when the other boomerang came zooming at her as well.  
>All Robin heard was a horrible thud. He looked up just in time to see Rose collapse, her body going completely limp. For him it seemed to go in slow motion, taking an eternity for her fall to end with her sprawled, unmoving on the pavement. Robin's jaw dangled, his face washing white. A snap-second later it turned red, his teeth clenched as he emitted a snarl of fury.<br>He leap to his feet and threw a birdarang, smashing one of the boomerangs out of the air. He then tossed another with a cord attached at the second one, snagging it, and with a great yank sent it streaking toward Gizmo, how as still struggling to regain control of his flight-pack.  
>Gizmo saw his own weapon coming toward him and shouted at the top of his tiny lungs, quickly undoing the straps of his pack. He slid from it and tumbled through the air only seconds before the boomerang crashed into the flight pack, causing a small explosion in the air above. He screamed as he fell, only to be caught the second before he hit the ground by a smiling Cyborg, who dangled the squirming and protesting villain away from his body.<br>"Man, that was too easy." Beast Boy gloated, smiling at Gizmo's struggles.  
>"Everyone okay?" Cyborg asked as he glanced at his teammates.<br>"I'm fine." Raven replied.  
>"I am also unharmed. And you, Robin?" Starfire asked, but her voice trailed off when she saw Robin crouch over the prone body of Rose Wilson. Quickly she and the others joined him. "Is she…?" Starfire asked softly, almost unable to speak.<br>"She's alive, but we have to get her to a hospital, fast!" Robin said as he reached down and placed a hand on Rose's shoulder. He turned her over onto her back and recoiled at what he saw before him, barely registering the horrified gasps of his teammates behind him as his own throat tightened, leaving him barely able to whisper "No…"

Cyborg and Beast Boy walked down the hospital hallway, seeing Robin as they turned the corner. Starfire and Raven stood nearby, leaning against a wall, both wearing expressions of concern. Robin sat with his head in his hands, staring at the floor. He had not changed that position since the doctors had carried Rose's unconscious body into the room behind him.  
>"How is he?" Beast Boy whispered to Starfire, who looked on the verge of tears herself.<br>"He has not moved since we arrived. He just sits there and says 'all my fault' over and over." The Titans exchanged worried glances and then slowly approached him.  
>"Hey man, we went down to the coffee shop. We got you something." Cyborg said and reached his hand from behind his back to hold a banana-split sundae out in front of Robin, who did not even raise his eyes to look at it. Cyborg sighed regretfully and tossed the ice-cream treat into a garbage can.<br>"Please Robin, do not do this to yourself." Starfire said as she sat down next to him placing a hand on his shoulder.  
>"It was my fault" Robin said, not even raising his eyes to meet hers. "I pushed her right in front of it."<br>"You were pushing her away from the other one. You were trying to protect her. It was an accident." Raven urged.  
>"Any one of us could have done the same thing." Beast Boy added in.<br>"Yeah, she'll understand. I'm sure she will." Cyborg said. Robin finally raised his head to look at his friends and forced himself to smile, at least for them. But the relief was interrupted when he scrambled to his feet to address a doctor who came down the hall.  
>"Doctor, is she going to be okay?" Robin urged, tugging on the man's lab-coat urgently. The doctor checked the chart in his hand and then addressed the gathered super-heroes.<br>"She's going to be just fine. She's needs rest after the shock she took, but she should recover fine." He said. All of the Titan's breathed a collective sigh of relief at this. The doctor examined his chart again and then absently added "I'm afraid she's going to lose that eye though."  
>"Lose her…" Robin said, his voice trailing off as his face went the color of unflavored yogurt.<br>"Yes. I'm afraid the damage was just too extensive to repair. She'll never see out of her left eye again." The doctor said. Robin's head sagged, and the other Titans took a step forward, uncertain if they should try to comfort him or not. He looked back up at the doctor and quietly asked "Can…can I see her?"  
>"Well, she's still unconscious…" he said, but when he saw the look of urgency on their faces he relented, "But I suppose it couldn't do any harm. But just for a minute." He cautioned as he lead them to Rose's room.<br>"She will be fine Robin, please do not blame yourself" Starfire urged as they made their way down the hall.  
>"That's right, young man." The doctor added as he pushed the door open for them, "She can still lead a very happy and fulfilling life. Why, lots of people…"<br>"So uh…where is she?" Beast Boy interrupted. The doctor started and shoved past them to see the empty bed, the covers undone.  
>"That's impossible!" the doctor stammered.<br>"Did she maybe get up to go to the bathroom, or get something to eat?" Raven asked.  
>"She couldn't have, she was completely unconscious. I'm calling security!" the doctor said as he scrambled past them and out of the room.<br>"Maybe the Hive Five came back for her" Cyborg suggested.  
>"We just beat them, they're all in jail!" Beast Boy replied, starting to grow frantic.<br>"So then…where did she go?" Cyborg asked. Everyone fell silent, unable to find an answer.

Slade shook his head as he watched the news-footage about the Titans latest battle with the Hive Five. He pressed a button on the arm of his chair and the screen blinked off. It was then that he saw the tiny figure silhouetted in the doorway behind him. He straightened and turned his chair to face the intruder.  
>The tiny figure stepped forward, revealing the flimsy hospital gown, the trembling limbs, and the single eye that started out from beneath the bandages that covered the top of her head and the side of her face.<br>"Look what they did to me!" Rose said weakly, but with a harsh determination.  
>"I tried to warn you, Rose." Slade said with a shake of his head. He turned his chair away, as if dismissing her, but continued to speak. "Why come to me? There's nothing I can do to fix it."<br>"I want them dead!" Rose shouted, her voice echoing through Slade's lair. "I want them all dead!" she added when he did not respond.  
>Slowly, ever so slowly, Slade turned his chair back around to face her. He sat completely still, as a statue, and looked at her seriously.<br>"Do you mean that? Truly mean that? Are you prepared to do whatever it takes?" he asked, his voice completely flat and neutral. There was a long silence, interrupted only by Rose's trembling breathing, till she spoke again.  
>"Teach me. Everything."<br>"That's my girl." Slade said as he rose to his feet, his voice taking on a note of pride. He stepped down to stand in front of her, his single-eye meeting hers as they gazed into each other. "Welcome home" he said and placed a hand on the back of her head, pulling her forward to rest her head on his chest.  
>Rose made no move to return the gesture or embrace him in return. She kept her hands at her sides and simply stared into the darkness of Slade's lair, feeling that darkness surrounding and engulfing her.<p>

THE END

Well dear reader, I am afraid that is all for this story. As I said earlier, it was intended to be a short introduction of Rose into the animated series continuity. Sufficed to say, if these events had taken place in the series, from this point on Rose would become Ravager, and Slade's new apprentice. I would like to point out that in the comic books the story of how Rose lost her eye was much different, but I felt this alteration of her origin made her more relevant to the animated story, and it made her relationship with the Titans, Robin in particular, all the more complex and dynamic. I hope you all enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it, and hope to be seeing you all again soon. Don't stop believing!


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